Fruit-picker.



A No. 660,974; Patented Oct. 30, I900).

w. e.- SAYRS. mun mcxsn. (Application med mu 7, 1900.

THE NORRIS PETERS co., PnoYo-pmoq ame-mu. u. c.

Uni'rnn STATES ATENT WILLIAM G. SAYRS, OF BURNSIDE, ILLINOIS.

FRUIT-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,974, dated October30, 1900. Application filed February 7, 1900. Serial No, 4,366. Nomodel.)

1.0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. SAYRS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Burnside, in the county of Hancock and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Pickers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fruit-pickers, and pertains to apicker in which an adjustable handle is provided, carrying at one end apicking arrangement constructed as herein shown and described and a bagin communication with the picking device or arrangement into which thefruit falls and passes to the lower end of the handle, all of which willbe fully described hereinafter and particularly referred to in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a pickerembodying my invention, the same being shown in an operative position.Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached perspective view of the picker-ring,showing its specific construction and the knife carried thereby.

The object of my invention is to providea picker which is constructed ofa single piece of wire with laterally projecting twisted armsbetweenwhich the stems of the fruit-being picked passes and a knifewhich consists of a band held by the lower ends of thelaterally-projecting twisted arms, whereby when it is necessary the stemof the fruit can be out by a drawing pull upon the picker, the fruitpicked to fallinto a textile tube and be conveyed thereby to the lowerend of the handle.

Referring now to the drawings, A is a sectional handle, the ends of thesections being united by metallic tubes or sockets B, whereby the handlemaybe lengthened or shortened, as may be required in the operation ofthe device.

The picker-ring D consists of a single piece of wire which is providedintermediate its ends with'a plurality of laterally-projecting doubledand twisted portions E, which constitute a plurality of laterallyextending arms which serve as means for catching the fruit and to drawit from the tree. It will be noticed that the lower ends of thesedoubled and twisted arms extend in opposite directions, as indicated ata, and that these oppositely-extending portions serve to constitute aring, as will be readily understood from the drawings. The ends b ofthis wire ring ex tend outward and into a suitable ferrule G, the saidferrule G adapted to detachably receive the upper end of the sectionalhandle A. A textile tube I has its upper end suitably connected with thepicker-ring, and the tube extends downward, preferably inelosing thehandle A, and the tube is made into sections J, adapted to be buttonedor hooked together, as illustrated, whereby the tube may be made of alength to correspond with the length of the sectional and adjustablehandle A.

For the purpose of facilitating the picking of the fruit I provide thepicking-ring with a knife, which is arranged in a novel and cheapmanner. This knife K consists ofa band, as illustrated, the said bandbeing preferably composed of steel. The band passes between the lowerends of the double portions which constitute the laterally-extendingarms of the ring, the lower edge of the knife resting upon the upperedges of the ring portions a, situated between the said arms, and whichserve to hold the knife against removal in the opposite direction by thetwisted portions of the arms. By means of this construction it will beseen that a knife is provided between the several picker-arms, wherebywhen desired the knife can be used as a means for cutting the stem ofthe fruit, and thus facilitate the picking thereof. The ends of theknife K are formed into hooks or eyes 6, which embrace one stem of thedouble arms, and thus serve to prevent an endwise movement of the knife.

A picker of the above description is simple and cheap to construct andyet very efficient in its operation. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A picker-ring composed of a single piece of wire havinglaterally-extending doubled portions constituting picker-arms, and ametallic band passing between the two members constituting thepicker-arms thereof, the

upper edge of the band constituting a knife situated between the saidarms, substantially as described.

2. A picker-ring composed of a single piece of wire having a pluralityof laterally-extending doubled portions constituting pickerarms, and aknife extending between the lower ends of the two members of the doubledportions and held in position thereby to constitute a knife between thesaid arms, substantially described.

3. A picker-ring composed of a single piece of wire having a pluralityof doubled laterally-extending twisted portions constitutingpicker-arms, and a knife composed of a metallic band extending betweenthe two members of the doubled and twisted portions, one edge of theknife resting upon the upper edge of the ring between the said arms forholding the knife against movement in one direction, and the knife beingheld against movement in the other direction by the twisted portions ofthe arms, substantially as described.

4. A picker-ring composed of a single piece of wire having a pluralityof laterally-extending doubled portions constituting pickerarms, and aknife composed of a strip of metal with its outer edge sharpened, thesaid strip extending between the two members constituting the doubledportions, the knife having its ends provided with hooks adapted to embrace the stems of the doubled portions, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 1st day of February, 1900.

WILLIAM G. SAYRS.

Vitnesses:

ALBERT SALISBURY, MARSHALL GRoTTs.

